


Obituary

by flowerpotgirl



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Post Bartlett Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-06-11
Updated: 2007-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:26:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14781008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowerpotgirl/pseuds/flowerpotgirl
Summary: Josh's life according to the Times in London





	Obituary

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

  
Author's notes: Disclaimer - I too do not own them but wish I did!  
I have omitted dates due to laziness and to avoid controversy.  


* * *

THE TIMES, LONDON

Joshua Lyman, former White House Chief of Staff and prominent American politician.

Josh Lyman spent his working life in politics and has been one of the best known Democrats in recent history.  
His father was a lawyer, who died whilst Josh was working for ‘Bartlett for America’ and he also had a sister who died in a fire when they were children. His mother was the only member of his family to see Josh become a major force in running the country.  
He graduated from Harvard and Yale, was a Fulbright scholar and was destined for a remarkable career in whichever field he chose. Despite his father being a noted lawyer, he chose to enter the political arena, but shunned the public roles, choosing throughout his career to serve those elected rather than stand for election himself. Given his occasional gaffes to the press this could be said to have been a wise choice, although his eventful life and career have thrown Josh into the public spotlight on more than one occasion.  
Whilst working for Democratic frontrunner, John Hoynes, he chose to leave that presidential campaign and work for the rank outsider Josiah Bartlett. He was enticed to see Bartlett speak by his father’s friend Leo McGarry, himself a noted politician and former Secretary of State. Josh brought Sam Seaborn to the campaign and with Toby Ziegler and CJ Cregg they formed the backbone of the campaign. When, against all the odds, President Bartlett was elected they became the President’s inner circle and Josh took the post of Deputy to McGarry’s Chief of Staff. During this time Josh Lyman developed a reputation for determination and persistence which led to the nickname ‘Bartlett’s Bulldog’. .  
Very few people can not be aware of the events in Rosslyn when gunshots aimed at the President’s aide injured the President and his Deputy Chief of Staff. Josh Lyman was critically injured and underwent extensive surgery for lung damage. He made a good physical recovery, but has since revealed that he suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and had a much slower psychological recovery.  
Towards the end of the first Bartlett term, the revelation of the President’s Multiple Sclerosis added pressure to an already stressed administration, but Josh continued to fight for the President’s agenda and for the issues in which they both believed.  
Josh was again a key player in the second successful Bartlett campaign, while continuing to juggle the demands of the White House. However, he left before the end of the administration to run a campaign himself.  
Prior to this America was shocked by the bombing of a congressional delegation in Gaza. Josh’s assistant Donna Moss, who had worked for him since the first ‘Bartlett for America’ campaign, was with the delegation and was the only survivor of the bombed car. Rumours were rife at the time, but it has since been revealed that Josh left the White House and flew to Germany to be with Donna within hours of the event. Donna, after an initially rocky start, made a good recovery and returned to her job, but left some months later to work for Bob Russell, then Vice-President, on his Presidential campaign.  
Ironically, it was soon afterwards that Josh Lyman left the White House to branch out on his own. He persuaded another rank outsider, Matt Santos, to run for the Democratic Presidential nomination against both the sitting and former Vice Presidents- Bob Russell and John Hoynes. Despite the tremendous odds, Josh succeeded in making Santos the Democrats’ choice and, in a surprise move, Leo McGarry was named as his prospective Vice President. The election that followed was one of the closest in recent times and saw Santos win on the final vote. However, just prior to the announcement Leo McGarry was found collapsed in his room and was pronounced dead before the election was called. It has been described as one of the most dramatic elections of American history and Josh Lyman earned a place in the history books by bringing a three term congressman to the White House in defiance of all predictions and against all advice from his own party. He took his former mentor’s job as Chief of Staff and again brought Sam Seaborn with him to act as his Deputy.  
It was an equally busy time personally as he married Donna Moss later the following year. Donna had joined the latter part of the campaign and was asked by the First Lady to act as her Chief of Staff. The wedding of the two White House Chiefs of Staff generated enormous publicity, but, despite the public interest, they endeavoured to keep their private life away from the media spotlight.  
After a further eight years in the White House Josh combined a part-time teaching post with writing a series of highly successful books on politics, social issues and his experiences in government. What would, for many men, be the crowning achievement of their career is but a footnote in the life of a tremendously dynamic, charismatic and committed man who dedicated his life to the service of his country and of two Presidents. In an environment like the White House, where the average staffer manages eighteen months before burnout, Josh Lyman stands out for his incredible 11 years working for the most powerful man in America.  
He leaves a wife and two children.


End file.
